Releasing device.



J. IRWIN.

RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.28, 191s.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

' INVENTOR r/Zzmes Ira in coLuml'alA PLANOGRAPH co A:HX\GTON n c bill 8and shank 9 in either direction; a shoulder 11 formed on the bill 8engaging the pin 19 when the bill is in its open position, and the innerend of a notch 12 in the shank 9 engaging the pin 10 when the bill 8 isin its innermost position. The lower end of the shank 9 is rounded andmay be provided with a roller 13, as shown in Fig. 5, if desired. Insome instances, however, the roller 13 may be dispensed with.

Mounted between the plates A, below the lower end of the slots 4, is aweighted cam disk 14, which is mounted on a removable pin 15, extendingthrough one of the plates A and threaded on its outer end to screw intothe other plate A, as shown in Fig. 4; the pin 15 being adapted to beremoved to permit of the cam 14 being interchanged. The cam 14 is sopositioned that its crown will contact the inner face of the shank 9 toform an abutment for the latter and prevent the hook 8 being releasedwhen a load is carried thereon.

Formed on the cam disk 14 is an extension 16, which projects through theopen side of the casing between the plates AA, and is adapted to have ahandle 17 secured thereto, by means of which the cam disk 14 may bemanually rocked on the pivot pin 15.

The releasing device is designed to operate either in the position shownin the drawings, or in an inverted position, and when disposed in theposition shown in the drawings the lever 17 is weighted to normallyretain the cam lever 14 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1; aprojection 18 on the extension 16 being arranged to engage the spacer 3to limit the downward movement of the handle portion 17. When the deviceis inverted, the handle 17 is lightened suiiL ciently to allow theweight of the cam portion 14 to maintain the cam in its normal position.Means are provided for rocking the cam 14 from a remote point, such forinstance as from the center of a boat having a releasing device situatedat each end thereof. which means is here shown as consisting of areciprocating bar 19 mounted in suitable guides on the forward edges ofthe plates A; the bar 19 having shoulders 20 thereon arranged to engagethe underside of the extensions 16 on the cam 14, the lower end of thebar 19 normally rests upon an operating cam 21, mounted on a rockingshaft 22 in such manner that when the latter is operated the cam 21 willact to raise the releasing bar 19 and thereby rock the cam 14 on itspivot pin 15 into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Ifdesired, the bar 19 may be operated by a cord connecting with aperforation 23 in the lower end of the bar, or in any other suitablemanner.

When it is desired to operate the releasing device only when the loadcarried thereon is relieved, the face of the cam 14 is arrangedeccentric to its axis of rotation, as shown in Fig. 1, in such mannerthat on the initial rocking of the cam 14 it will operate to rock theshank 9 and bill 8 in opposition to the load carried by the latter intothe position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus necessitating thelifting of the load carried by the bill 8 immediately before itsrelease. This arrangement insures the device against being accidentallyoperated. In some instances, however, it may be desired to adapt thereleasing device to being readily disconnected from the load, in whichevent the face of the cam 14 is arranged concentric with its axi ofrotation, as shown in Fig. 5; in which event the cam 14 may be readilyrocked irrespective of the load carried by the bill 8, and only on theapplication of sufficient power to rock the cam 14. The arrangementshown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 being preferred, however, where the deviceis used in connection with life boats, as in this arrangement the boatcan not be readily released until it is supported in the water, as itrequires the application of suflicient power to operate the cam 14 aswould be necessary to lift the load carried by the bill 8. In theoperation of the invention assume the parts to be in the position shownin Fig. 1; the hill 8 being in its closed position and engaging aneyelet or hook 24 from which the device is suspended, the hook or ring24 supporting the load carried on the lower end of the releasing device.lVhen it is desired to release the load, the cam 14 is rocked on itspivot pin 15, either by the manipulation of the handle 17 or thereciprocation of the bar 19, to move the cam 14 in the direction of thearrow 6 in Fig. 1.

The downward movement of the cam 14 causes its raised crown portion torock the shank 9 outwardly a short distance in opposition to the loadcarried on the hill 8 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.The upper portion of the cam 14 on passing beneath the rounded lower endof the shank 9 allows the load carried by the bill 8 to rock the latterinto the open position. shown in Fig. 2, thus releasing the'load anddetaching it from the device. The hill 8, by reason of its being heavierthan the shank 9, will normally remain in the position shown in Fig. 2,with the shank 9 extending across the slot 4. On the release of the cam14, the latter will gravitate back to its normal position, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2. When it is desired to attach the ring or hook 23to the releasing device, the former is forcibly impacted against theshank 9 to cause the latter to move in the direction of the arrow 0 inFig. 2; the impact on the shank 9 rocking the shank on its shaft 7causing its lower end to strike the upper face of the releasing cam 14,moving the latter downward into the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1, and allowing the shank 9 to pass to its normal position; thebill 8 moving into engagement with the hook or ring 23. The moment theshank 9 passes beyond the outer end of the releasing cam 14:, the lattergravitates to its normal position and reengages v the shank 9 to lockthe latter against movement. This manner of connecting the releasingdevice to the hook or ring 23 obviates one of the serious diflicultiescommonly met with in the connecting of releasing devices such as are nowgenerally employed on life boats and the like; great difiiculty beingusually encountered in re-connecting the releasing device owing to thepitching of the boat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is;

1. In a releasing device, the combination with a casing comprisingspaced plates hav ing opposed open-ended slots in one end thereof, of acam disk pivotally mounted between the plates and weighted to normallymaintain its operating face in a substantially vertical plane, a hookpivoted in the casing, and a shank on said hook formed with asemi-circular outer end which extends beyond the operating face of thecam disk when the device is closed and adapted to actuate the cam diskto be automatically engaged thereby on closing the hook, said shankextending across the slots in the casing when the device is open, saidrounded end of the shank facilitating the operation of tlhe cam disk inreleasing and closing the 1100 2. In a releasing device, the combinationwith a casing having an open-ended slot in one end thereof, a billpivoted in the casing and adapted to extend across the open end of theslot, a shank on said bill, said shank I formed with a rounded outerend, a cam disk having a flat face and a rounded face, said cam diskpivoted in the casing and arranged with its rounded face abuttingagainst the shank at a point adjacent to the base of the rounded portionof the latter, when the device is closed said cam disk adapted to beactuated by the shank on closing the hook to automatically engage theshank, and means for rocking the disk to dispose it clear of the shankand allow the bill and shank to rock.

3. In a releasing device, the combination with a casing having anopen-ended slot in one end thereof, of a bill pivoted in the casing andadapted to extend across the open end of the slot, a shank on said bill,said shank formed with a rounded outer end, a cam disk having a flatface and a rounded face, said cam disk pivoted in the casing andarranged with its rounded face abut-ting against the shank at a pointadjacent to the base of the rounded portion of the latter, when thedevice is closed, an arm on said disk, and a plate slidable on thecasing engageable with the arm to rock the disk when the plate isrec-iprocated.

4. In a releasing device, the combination with a casing having anopen-ended slot in one end thereof, of a bill pivoted in the easing andadapted to extend across the open end of the slot, a shank on said bill,said shank formed with a rounded outer end, a cam disk having a flatface and a rounded face, said cam disk pivoted in the casing andarranged with its rounded face abutting against the shank at a pointadjacent to the base of the rounded portion of the latter, when thedevice is closed said cam disk adapted to be actuated by the shank onclosing the hook to automatically engage the shank, the rounded face ofsaid cam disk having an increased eccentric portion adjacent to the fiatface adapted to rock the shank before the latter releases when the diskis rocked, and means for rocking the disk to dispose it clear of theshank and allow the bill and shank to rock.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES IRWVIN.

VVit-nesses A. W. MoGURRY, J. F. MCCARTHY,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

